Monday, October 07, 2002
Bengals' next opponent: Steelers fall to 1-3
Saints run over Pittsbrugh defense 32-29
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't stopped anybody all season, and Deuce McAllister was no different.
The second-year running back rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries as the New Orleans Saints held off Pittsburgh 32-29 Sunday.
“It was a very poor defensive effort,” Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. “There were too many big plays. I don't even think they punted until the fourth quarter. I'm very disappointed in how we performed defensively.”
The Steelers came in ranked 24th in the NFL in total defense, and McAllister took advantage. New Orleans (4-1) has won all three games this season when McAllister runs for 100 yards.
“When you can run your offense and don't have to throw it every time, they can't tee off on you,” McAllister said.
Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox, the MVP of the XFL in its only season, made his first NFL start since 1992.
A first-round flop in Denver, Maddox played well in place of the benched Kordell Stewart, but the Pittsburgh defense was riddled again.
The Steelers (1-3) were shredded for big passing days by Tom Brady and Rich Gannon earlier this season.
Saints safety Sammy Knight thwarted a late fourth-quarter drive when he intercepted Maddox.
The Steelers then drove 47 yards, and Maddox hit Terance Mathis with a 14-yard touchdown pass. Maddox found Hines Ward for the 2-point conversion to bring Pittsburgh to 32-29 with 1:26 remaining.
The onside kick was recovered by the Saints, however, and New Orleans ran out the clock.
Maddox completed 22 of 38 passes for a career-high 268 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once and sacked four times.
“For whatever reason, we were able to make third downs,” Maddox said. “We feel good about ourselves. We had a few long drives and when you stay on the field you're able to see things better and make big plays.”
New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks was 14-of-24 passing for 207 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked twice.
The Steelers finally got their running game going after averaging 79.7 yards coming in. Jerome Bettis ran for 84 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, and Pittsburgh gained 120 yards on the ground.
“If you give me the opportunity, I'll make some plays for you,” Bettis said. “That's all I need.”
The Saints, after falling behind 20-0 in each of their last two games, took a 13-0 lead this time and never trailed.
New Orleans stripped Maddox of the ball in the first quarter and recovered it on the Steelers' 44. John Carney hit a 40-yard field goal.
On the Saints' second possession they drove 78 yards for a touchdown. Brooks hit Jerome Pathon with a 15-yard pass to make it 10-0 with 1:38 left in the first quarter. McAllister had 40 total yards on the drive.
Carney added a 48-yard field goal in the second quarter, making it 13-0.
Maddox capped a 77-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress to cut it to 13-7 with 5:21 left in the half. Maddox went 5-for-5 for 40 yards on the drive.
New Orleans came back with a two-play drive — a 64-yard pass to Pathon and a 1-yard leap by McAllister for the touchdown. The 2-point conversion failed, but the Saints led 19-7 with 4:47 remaining in the half.
Maddox hit Ward for a 2-yard touchdown pass to cut it to 19-14 before halftime. Officials originally called the pass incomplete, but ruled it was a touchdown after reviewing the play.
McAllister opened the third quarter with his second touchdown of the day, a 52-yard scoring run to make it 26-14.
Pittsburgh then put together a gritty, 80-yard drive, which included two third-down conversions and one on fourth down. The drive took nearly 7 minutes and ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Bettis that made it 26-21.
A 31-yard field goal by Carney made it 29-21 at the end of the third quarter. Carney hit his second 48-yarder to make it 32-21 with 11:21 left.
Notes: Bettis went over 11,000 yards rushing for his career. ... The Saints had five sacks in their first four games. They had four against the Steelers. ... Pittsburgh committed 25 turnovers in its previous seven games, including the playoffs. The Steelers had two against New Orleans. ... The Saints have sold out 16 straight home games. ... The Steelers topped 100 yards rushing for the first time in five games.
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Bengals' next opponent: Steelers fall to 1-3
